Kino's Journey

After watching Pokemon as a kid I left anime for a long time. Then I was introduced through Sword Art Online. It wasn't the worst thing but thankfully it was the polar opposite of American cartoons in terms of art style. I did some digging for better storylines and discovered a talking motorcycle. I have never turned back on anime since!

Then perfect word to describe Kino's Journey is "intriguing". She is not always a moral character. Instead she is a pragmatic character and manages to survive. Seeing through the eyes of someone who isn't an idealistic vigilante allows us to observe events and draw our own conclusions. If you feel like watching a thinking anime, this is for you. If you want to turn your brain off after a hard day, that's okay too; honestly I do that myself a lot.

Animé is known for showcasing characters with super-human powers, or mostly not even human at all. It is known for it's original and bizarre stories and story lines, which seem to fascinate every animation fan. It is a big hit among viewers who enjoy watching the endless possibilities of story making. It is, I believe the very nature of japanimation. But to be honest it is very rare to see an animé much like this one I'm going to review about, called –"Kino No Tabi".

Sometimes called "Kino's Journey" or "Kino's Travels" –"Kino No Tabi" is probably the most artiest and most thought-proving animé I've seen (really!). Based from the sensational novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa that became popular in Japan back in 2000, "Kino No Tabi" is the unique story of a young traveler named Kino, and Kino's traveling companion, a talking motorcycle named Hermes. Together, they travel from country to country, meeting different people, and exploring different cultures. They learn and discover new things as they travel, and thus, making this show a delightful series, because you learn with its characters.

It is likely that you'll be surprised with the series' unconventional stories, and it's unusual characters (that appear in every episode) it may seem slow sometimes since the characters do much talking than anything else, since this is after all the way that this show uplifts itself –through the characters' interactions with one another, especially the conversations with Kino and Hermes. You will marvel at Kino's calmness and rational ways of dealing with matters that most of us don't give a damn about.

Kino is an intelligent, and charming character despite having to act coldly at times. Another unusual thing about "Kino No Tabi" is Kino's gender. It wasn't made clear in the first to third episodes, since some characters in the stories refer to Kino as a boy and some called her "miss". What's even more confusing would be Kino's use of "boku" (a Japanese pronoun used by a male to refer to himself) when speaking. But this will be made clear during the 4th episode. I don't want to give spoilers, but it was a cool concept by the author to make Kino's gender a mystery.

Featuring the voice of Ai Maeda as Kino (she played Shiori Kitano in "Battle Royale 2: Requiem"). Hers is perfect for the character of Kino, since it's quite hard to distinguish her voice (if male or female). As you know, most animé have women do the voice acting for some male characters (especially if the characters are young boys). So it won't be surprising if her character, Kino is a boy –or maybe not.

All I can say, "Kino No Tabi" will not be like any other animé you've seen. It's a brilliant series that uniquely unveils various human philosophies. It's one of those shows you'd be glad you took the time to watch.

From the people behind the shows –"Serial Experiments Lain", "Haibane Renmei", and "Boogiepop Phantom".. "Kino No Tabi" is another show yet to impress you with it's brilliance and it's unique expression of a radical sense of "beauty".

This series is quite different to other anime series I've seen; it is neither action packed nor full of laughs although that doesn't mean it is totally lacking in these. The animation has a style of its own too; in some ways it has a simple look but it is stunningly beautiful. The series follows the travels of Kino and her talking 'Motorrad' (motorbike) Hermes as they visit various countries, each of the countries are effectively city states that each have their own unique customs, some are friendly, others less so. As a general rule Kino is just an observer of the countries she visits but occasionally gets involved although that is usually because she has no choice. Just because Kino prefers to avoid conflict does not mean the guns we see in the opening credits don't get used, it did come as a surprise the first time though.

As they are constantly travelling the only regular characters are Kino and Hermes; Kino is an interesting character whose gender is open to question for the first few episodes and is sometimes addressed as a boy and sometimes as a girl in the various countries, Hermes might be a talking motorbike but isn't as silly as that sounds, it looks like a real bike and does not have a face like other animated talking vehicles.

While the stories were gently paced I was never bored, I'd certainly recommend this for anybody looking for something a little different. It is suitable for most ages although one or two scenes might disturb young children; some people and a few rabbits do get shot and we aren't spared the sight of spilt blood.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

Based on a Japanese light novel of the same name, we follow Kino, a traveller, and her talking motorcycle, Hermes, as they ride from country to country in a vast, sudo-futuristic world of many peoples and civilizations. Less of an overarching narrative or large scale world building, the core of Kino's Journey lies in each of its episodic visits to a new country, typically exploring some political or organizational ideal to its extremes, along with the moral lessons or implications we could learn should a society like it exist. The art style is quite strong, with crt scanlines superimposed over all its visuals, watercolour motifs through most of its backgrounds and scenery, especially when in nature, and the foregrounds washed out colours, giving that sort of punk aesthetic. I very much enjoyed it, the characters were all fantastic, although there was the odd bit of eye-rolling at some of the reveals or melodrama. There is also certainly violence and some tackling of heavy themes, so not for children. Definitely on the more grounded end of anime, I would highly recommend if it already seems something of interest, was good.

So what is Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World about? The story focuses on Kino, a young dark haired girl and her talking motorrad named Hermes, as they travel from country to country, experiencing the abstract and hyberbolic customs and traditions of each land, staying only three days in each country before moving on to a different one and repeating the process.

So lets start with the setting. Kino's Journey has arguably the most impressive world building that I have ever seen in an anime. Every episode (with the exception of one 2 episode long country) we are treated to a new country with traditions completely different from the previous one. The lands that Kino and Hermes arrive in show off the different aspects of the human condition brought on by the circumstances of each country. It is jarring to comprehend this show's ability to create such distinct and fleshed out setting and to be able to do it as many times as they do during the course of the show.

The soundtrack in this show is and interesting point to discuss since music is seldom used. The saying "less is more" is something I would use to describe the way music is used throughout the show, when music is used so little during the show, you really feel the magnitude of the moment when music is used. It really captures the crucial moments in the series. Kino no Tabi's soundtrack is seamless and the music chosen is chosen perfectly for each part.

The story is not a character driven one because the events themselves are what put forward the anime's heavy messages. Because of this we get very little insight into Kino's motives, aside from episode 4 where we learn about her past, she still remains a fairly static and mysterious character. Hermes, Kino's talking motorrad, acts as Kino's voice of reason and for the most part serves as an extension to Kino's character and allows for dialogue throughout the story since Kino and Hermes are the only major characters we see. despite what may be thought of a talking motorbike as a major character, Hermes is not by any means a comic relief character and offers realism in situations where Kino is challenged. I think that character is this story's weakest point, but is by no means bad. Static characters are okay when the story does not rely on character development to present it's themes.

The art style is really quite simple, you wont get anything spectacular from the visuals but you won't be disappointed either. The colours chosen are deliberately dull and plain. The art takes a back seat to the story and serves as a canvas to convey the more important messages.

Overall, Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World is an elegant dissection of the characteristics that compose human existence represented by foreign lands and exaggerated cultures. If it sounds like a lot to comprehend that's because it is, this is a story that must be paid close attention to in order to comprehend it's depth. Every episode raises a heavy existential question that will leave you lying awake all night trying to figure out it's meaning, that's my favourite part about it and these are the reasons that I think Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World deserves it's 10/10.